Shelby Corn Maze now open

Saturday

Sep 16, 2017 at 8:03 PMSep 16, 2017 at 8:03 PM

Wade Allen WadeAllenStar

Nestled in a field off U.S. 74 between Shelby and Mooresboro is an annual autumn attraction for all ages.

The Shelby Corn Maze opens Saturday, inviting everyone for fun on the farm. There’s a new barn where treats will be sold, including Dippin’ Dots and State Fair Donuts. There’s a seating area there where adults may relax while children play.

Attractions include a pumpkin patch, games and rides, and the maze itself. This year’s design features a map of the United States with stars and the words “Land of the free because of the brave.”

Alice Pyron owns Shelby Corn Maze with husband Gene. She said it’s been a long time since the maze was designed with a patriotic theme.

“This really is a great country that we live in. It was just time to pay our dues,” she said.

Once they developed the design, a team from Utah that specializes in designing corn mazes arrived in Cleveland County to cut the maze design into the corn field. Alice Pyron said it took them about five hours.

“When we sent the drone up, we were like, ‘Wow. It’s just beautiful,’” she said. “The corn is a little bit taller than when we went up with the drone, but the corn was taller because of the rain we’ve gotten.”

The haunted maze begins at dark on Fridays and Saturdays in October. If the thought of that attraction scares you, there’s a section of the maze that is cleared as safe for all ages. But you’ll still have to find your way through the maze in the dark.

Favorite activities and attractions return to the Shelby Corn Maze this year. There’s a pumpkin patch, cow train ride, pipe slide, hayride, zip line for children and rubber duck races.

There’s a jumping pillow for adults and children. The 35-by-65-foot air-filled pillow is permanently installed on the ground, designed for recreational use. Pyron said it’s popular.

“The kids love it. The adults got on there and said, ‘Whoa, this is exercise,’” she said. “It’s fun. It’s different. It’s very unique.”

A “Rat Roller” attraction is new this year. It’s a black PVC culvert pipe on a track, about 5 feet in diameter.

“You have to make that thing roll all the way to the end and back. It was really fun,” Pyron said.

There’s also a side-by-side corn cannon and apple launcher. The machines run from compressed air. Visitors load it, aim, press the trigger and shoot either an ear of corn or an apple.

The target? An old pickup truck with the windows rolled down. Pyron said if anyone shoots a corn cob or apple in the window, they win a slushie.